


Five Times Casey Nearly Revealed His Secret, and the One Time The Team Found Out

by notvelma



Category: Chaos (2011), Holes - Louis Sachar
Genre: Crossover, Five Plus One, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-28
Updated: 2011-07-28
Packaged: 2017-10-21 20:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/229749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notvelma/pseuds/notvelma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Casey's "secret" being that he was Dr. Pendanski from "Holes". A crack!ficcy crossover thing? Slash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Casey Nearly Revealed His Secret, and the One Time The Team Found Out

**Author's Note:**

> The whole reason I wrote this was because Tim Blake Nelson played Dr. Pendanski and Casey Malick, and somehow I wanted to explain how he'd gone from one job to the other... so I sort of did that?

1\. The Heat

 

            The "office" part of Office of Disruptive Services allowed no circulation on a good day, and today was not a good day. Their air conditioner had broken down earlier that morning, leaving the men suffering from the stuffy July heat. Michael, Billy, and Martinez had stripped down to their dress shirts. Sleeves were rolled up to their biceps, ties discarded, and buttons undone, leaving three partially bare chests. All three of them were red faced, sweating through the thin material of their shirts.

            Over at his desk, Billy fanned his face with a file folder, occasionally brushing his hand through his spiky hair. His shirt was unbuttoned practically to his navel, displaying far too much skin and chest hair for Casey's liking; it was practically obscene. No one else seemed bothered by the near nudity, though, so Casey kept his mouth shut over it.

            Of the four men in the office, Casey was the only one still fully dressed, suit jacket buttoned up and tie sitting straight where it belonged. He was leaning back in his chair, squeezing his stress ball and staring at his computer screen. Not a single drop of sweat rolled down his face, and none would.

            "Casey, it's ninety degrees in here!" Martinez said in disbelief. "How are you not sweating?" he exclaimed. He pushed his sleeves further up his arms, revealing even more pale skin, and aimed the tiny plastic handheld fan at his face. It didn't appear to be doing much good.  

            Casey shrugged. "I'm used to the heat," he said. "I spent almost eight years in the hottest part of Texas. Once you're out in the heat day after day like that, it starts to get to you."

            On the other side of the room, Michael looked up. His face was covered with a thin sheen of sweat that he wiped off with his bare forearm. "What's in Texas?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's not anything I remember reading in your file." His curious expression had the others interested, too.

            No, Texas wouldn't have been in his file because he'd gotten it erased. He should have been smart enough not to have brought it up in the first place, though. He could kick himself for not paying better attention to what was coming out of his mouth. "It's nothing," he said, and left it at that. Michael was smart enough to drop it, but Billy looked like he was getting ideas in his head.

            An hour later, they were being briefed on a new mission to Russia, and everyone promptly forgot about Casey's little slip-up... right?

 

2\. Yellow Spotted Lizards

            Billy eyed the spider warily, never looking away, even as he scooted back on the seat away from it and toward Casey. There wasn't enough room in the car as it was, and he was making it feel even _more_ cramped.

            "You do realize that the venom in that creature is barely enough to kill a dog, let alone a human being of your size," Casey told him calmly. He did his best to ignore Billy's proximity, as distracting as it was. They were supposed to be running surveillance while they waited for Martinez and Michael to finish up negotiations inside, but Billy was making it difficult to concentrate.

            Despite Casey's reassurances, the Scotsman was not convinced, and he continued to back up until he was practically sitting on the car's gearshift. "Spiders give me the willies. Aren't you scared of them?" Billy asked. The arachnid in question sat on the window, unaware of the man trying to get away from it. What a silly sight – a grown man afraid of something so tiny.

            Scooting forward, Casey reached across Billy's lap and rolled the window down just a smidge. He flicked the spider out and rolled the window back up and sat back in his seat, trying to move away from Billy, who seemed to have moved _closer_ to Casey. His hands were about an inch away from Casey's knee, and if he'd moved his arm any further, he'd be elbowing Casey in a very sensitive area.

            "My hero," Billy said, fluttering his eyelashes. "But really – there's nothing at all that frightens you? Not even a wee bit?" Billy was still practically on Casey's lap and didn't seem to want to remove himself right away, even though the spider had complete disappeared.

            "Yellow spotted lizards," Casey answered without thinking.

            Billy stared. "What in God's name is a yellow spotted lizard?"

            Casey didn't answer. "Would you mind getting off my lap, please, so we can concentrate on the mission?" He lifted up his binoculars once more and looked out the window.

 

3\. Counselor

            There was a figurative dark cloud hanging over Martinez's head as the four members of the ODS sat in their office. The newest member of the team usually had a bright smile on his face, but today he looks like he would be ready to chop somebody's head off if given the chance. Casey supposed that could be good, but anger makes people like Martinez – people who are _not_ Human Weapons – reckless.

            "For cryin' out loud, Martinez. Will you just get out with it so that we can have some peace?" Billy exclaimed finally. "I can't concentrate when you're sitting over there moping like somebody stole your puppy and then kicked you in the nuts."

            "That's about how I feel," Martinez said. He looked up, and his face made clear the way he was feeling. That was another thing he needed to work on – showing emotion in front of his teammates like that was one his major flaws. "Well, apparently Adele and Fay were talking –" he began.

            "Oh boy," Michael groaned, and leaned back in his chair. He'd clearly been around _that_ block a hundred times before. "Women." He sighed and shot a glance at Billy.

            "No, it's not that," Martinez said. He paused, rethinking. "Well, I suppose it is. Adele is under the impression that I'm risking my life too much at work. She treats me like I'm a little kid or something."

            Billy raised his eyebrows, smirking, and glanced at Casey.

            "The reason she treats you like a child, Martinez, is because you let her," Casey said calmly. "If you want her to respect you, then you must act worthy of that respect." He was still talking, but Casey barely recognized the words that were coming out of his mouth. "Deputy Director Ferrar no doubt has issues with a father that didn't spend enough time with her or didn't treat her just right, so what she really needs is a take-charge kind of man who will tell her what to do and be protective. You need to step up and show her how you feel about the way she's treating you, and then be a man about it."

            While both Michael and Billy were looking as though he'd gone off his rocker, Martinez seemed to find the advice solid. "Thank you, Casey!" he said, pushing his chair back from the desk. "I think I will go do that." He was out of the room in a flash, leaving Michael and Billy to stare at Casey.

            Then Billy burst out laughing. "That is the biggest bunch of bullshit that I've ever heard come out of your mouth!" he exclaimed "Where did you even come up with that?"

            Casey shrugged. "It's not that hard to bullshit psychology. Just mention feelings a lot, and when you're talking about women, the chances are high that she has daddy issues. You'd be surprised at how easy it is to read a woman. Let me tell you, though – the hardest group to work with is teenage boys. They're ten times harder to understand than women of any age."

            "When did you ever work with teenagers?" Michael asked. "No, wait, let me guess. Texas?"

            "Yes, do tell us about Texas, Operative Malick. I have a feeling that therein lies a wonderful tale," Billy said, rolling his wheeled chair over to Casey's desk. Resting his elbows on the edge of the desk, chin in hand, he gazed up at Casey expectantly.

            Casey, however, chose not to look at him. "There is no tale. Back to your own desk, Collins."

            "Hmm. No. I'm much more interested in what you're hiding from us. Was there a woman involved?" he asked. While there _was_ a woman involved, it wasn't in the way Billy was thinking.

            "With Casey, there's always a woman," Michael added, sounding far more amused than he had a right to be. His comrades always seemed to express glee at Casey's discomfort.

            "If I bribe you, will you leave me alone?" Casey asked, looking specifically at Billy.

            The way Billy's eyes caressed the length of his body should not have affected him the way it did, but perhaps all the memories of Camp Green Lake were getting to him and making him sloppy.

            Casey reached into his desk drawer and took out one of his prized chocolate bars. Then he placed it in Billy's hands. "Are you satisfied now?" he asked.

            Billy winked. "For now." He rolled back over to his own desk and proceeded to make obscene noises as he enjoyed the chocolate bar in a way that was not strictly necessary.

4\. Mr. Sir and the Warden

            _You are cordially invited to the wedding of Marion Sevillo and Caroline Walker._

            The invitation was unnecessarily gaudy, considering who it came from. Marion had never been one for ostentation, though Caroline occasionally went over the top.

            "Who are Marion and Caroline?" Billy asked, reading over his shoulder. "Is that a gay wedding or something?" He sounded far too pleased with that idea.

            "Marion is male," Casey replied, and stuffed the invitation back in its envelope.

            "I didn't know that was a man's name," Billy said. Once again, he was ignoring the social protocols about personal space. He stood so closely behind Casey that the shorter man could smell his cologne and feel his body heat.

            "It's not," Casey said. Billy reached over him and snatched the envelope out of his hands, stepping back so he could read it. More confetti fluttered out onto the floor when Billy took the card out. "Marion usually goes by a different name." _Mr. Sir_. It had been such a ridiculous name, but his surly attitude had made sure that no one would question it. At least Casey's pseudonym had _seemed_ like a real name instead of some ridiculous attempt to assert masculinity.

            Billy was not paying attention to Casey's explanation, instead perusing the invitation. "Look! It says you can take a date! And before you ask, I'd love to be your plus one." He winked.

            "That won't be necessary." Casey turned back to his own desk in an attempt to look busy.

            It was not that easy to dismiss Billy. "Why not? I'm a great dancer, I look great in a suit, as you well know, and I never get so drunk that I make a fool of myself." He sat down on the edge of Casey's desk and waved the invitation in the air.

            "I won't be attending the wedding," Casey informed him. There were personal reasons for choosing not to go, the first and foremost that he didn't trust either of them. Both of them had spent a lot of time in jail for their part in the events at Camp Green Lake. Casey had helped put them there with his testimony and the deal he'd made. There was no doubt in his mind that both of them knew he'd cut a deal to get a lesser sentence.

            Billy shifted to face his fellow operative. "And why wouldn't you? Weddings are beautiful!" He held up the invitation again. "Or does this have something to do with Texas? I saw the return address on the envelope. As your partner and close friend, I'd think you'd feel comfortable enough to confide in me about this part of your life." He pouted.

            "I don't want to discuss it further," Casey told him, and went to get coffee. The avoidance technique had worked well for him so far, but he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to skirt around the topic.

 

5\. "Mom"

            Martinez had picked the bar, claiming that he was getting bored with their usual watering hole. For some reason, Billy and Michael had decided to humor him, so the four of them were sitting at a table, doing their best to enjoy their drinks. A table away, a group of college boys were talking and laughing far too loudly for Casey's comfort. Instead of focusing on the conversation at his own table, Casey plotted ways to kill the college boys and get away with it.

            "Mom?" Casey's ears perked up at the name and couldn't help turning his head to see where it had come from. It was stupid to do so – he hadn't been called that in years.

            Standing next to the table of college kids was a slender, vaguely familiar looking blond man. He was looking at Casey like he knew him from somewhere, and it hit him only when the man – boy, really, because he couldn't have been much more than twenty-two years old – called out again. "Dr. Pendanski? Is that you?" He was heading over toward their table now, striding over purposefully.

            Casey's heart stopped for a brief moment, color leaving his face. This could not be happening. How far away from Texas were they? None of the kids should have come this far, and to recognize him after that long – it was pure coincidence, and a horrible one at that.

            "Mom!" The kid waved again and approached the table. "Remember me? It's Zigzag – er, Ricky. From Camp Green Lake?"

            Billy made a noise in his throat, and when Casey glared at him, Billy just grinned, looking like a child that had been given a very big present.

            "Ricky," Casey said, nodding. "You're a bit far away from home."

            The boy shrugged. He'd grown quite a bit taller since the last time Casey had seen him. The crazy hair he used to have had been tamed into dreadlocks. His white t-shirt had a patch of the anarchist symbol stitched to the chest, and his jeans looked like they'd gotten quite a bit of use. "I'm going to school in DC, but we like to come here to drink. What about you?" He looked at Casey in his suit and then over at the other men at the table – all three of which were looking very curiously at their guest.

            "Work," Casey replied vaguely. "Which school are you attending?" He remembered Ricky at Camp Green Lake, the gangly teenager he'd been, the wild hair and the paranoia about being watched and followed. Ricky had been one of the few boys that had actually benefitted from the therapy Casey had offered, and Casey was happy to see that the boy was, at least, going to school. How many of the others were moving on with their lives, and how many of them had gone back to a life of crime?

            "George Washington," Ricky answered. "Poli Sci major."

            "Political Science? And you're wearing an anarchy shirt?" This was Michael piping in where he wasn't needed. It made Billy chuckle, though.

            "It was nice seeing you," Ricky said, ignoring Michael. "Maybe I'll see you around." He gave Casey 'the nod' and went back to his table.

            Casey was torn. He wanted to talk more with Ricky, to find out the path that his life had taken, whether he kept in touch with any of the others from camp. Casey knew what had happened to Stanley – hell, it had been hard to ignore it, since his story was all over the news – but what about Rex? Alan? The twitchy car-jacker?

            "Would you care to explain any of that, Operative Malick?" Michael asked.

            "No."

            "Come on, Casey. One of these days you're going to have to tell us, so you might as well get it out now," Rick said, as though he had any authority.

            "A man has a right to his secrets." Casey punctuated the sentence with a pointed glare at each one of them, and that was the end of it.

 

They Find Out (Or: Billy Does) ****

 

            Casey shucked out of his jacket and hung it on top of the dresser. He toed out of his shoes and lined those up next to the dresser as well before he loosened his tie and pulled that off.

            He was working on the top button of his shirt when, suddenly, Billy was right up in his personal space, crowding him back against the wall. It occurred to Casey that he could have pushed Billy away using any number of moves, and it was a testament to his compliance that he didn't.

            Billy had a hand on either side of the wall, trapping Casey with his back to the wall. "I know about Texas," Billy said quietly. "I know about Camp Green Lake, and Dr. Pendanski and everything else. You know, enough little hints and it's easy enough to piece things together." He slid his leg between Casey's, slow smile spreading across his far too handsome face.

            "What is it that you think you know?" Casey asked, ignoring the way his breath hitched as Billy's knee pressed lightly against his crotch. He rationalized it by telling himself that it was perfectly normal to be turned on by stimulation like that, and it had nothing to do with Billy specifically.

            "That you worked a detention camp for boys. They had to dig holes for some insane reason, and while your comrades were arrested for their treatment of the children, you were let off. And now you're here, working for the CIA. Such a strange turn of events, wouldn't you say?" Billy seemed more amused than anything else, and when he brought his lower body into contact with Casey's – causing the shorter man a sharp intake of breath – the smile on his face grew wider.

            "I don't have to explain myself to you," Casey said shortly. What did Billy want from him?

            "I didn't ask you to. I just wish you wouldn't be so hesitant to share yourself, Casey," Billy said, and brought his right hand down to start working the buttons on Casey's shirt. He bent his head down and lowered his voice. "Open up to me, Casey."

            It was a horribly cheesy line, like one of those lines Billy would use on a mark. But Casey wasn't a mark, and he proved it when he grabbed Billy by the lapels, smashing their mouths together in something that was a little too harsh to be properly called a kiss.

            Billy corrected him, though, softening it into something more romantic and gentle while his hands continued on Casey's buttons. There were no words needed, but that didn't stop Billy from babbling once he'd pulled away from the kiss. "I don't care who you used to be or what you used to do," he said gently, pushing the shirt off Casey's shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. "You're here now, and –"

            "Stop talking," Casey said, reaching his hand between the two of them to cup the growing bulge in Billy's pants.

            "Should I call you Dr. Pendanski?" Billy asked with a teasing grin on his face.

            Casey hoped the glare on his own face answered that question. "I never want to hear that name again. And you're going to promise not to tell Michael or Martinez about my past, right?"

            Billy promised, but the twinkle in his eye made it hard for Casey to believe him.

*

            A week later and Martinez was asking him what it had been like to be a camp counselor, and Michael was making jokes about digging holes to China.

            Casey would have kicked someone's ass, but he was getting the best sex of his life from the person in question, so the ass-kicking would have to wait. 


End file.
